Telecommunication cables are ubiquitous and used for distributing all manner of data across vast networks. The majority of cables are electrically conductive cables (typically copper), although the use of optical fiber cables is growing rapidly in telecommunication systems as larger and larger amounts of data are transmitted. A telecommunication cable typically includes a bundle of individual telecommunication lines (either optical fibers or copper wires) that are encased within a protective sheath. As telecommunication cables are routed across data networks, it is necessary to periodically open the cable so that one or more telecommunication lines therein may be spliced, thereby allowing data to be distributed to other cables or “branches” of the telecommunication network. The cable branches may be further distributed until the network reaches individual homes, businesses, offices, and so on.
At each point where a telecommunication cable is opened, it is necessary to provide some type of enclosure to protect the exposed interior of the cable. Commonly, the enclosure has one or more ports through which cables enter and/or exit the enclosure. Once inside the enclosure, the cable is opened to expose the telecommunication lines therein. Conventional telecommunication enclosures are constructed to facilitate the management and protection of individual telecommunication lines and splices thereof. For example, conventional enclosures have re-enterable housings and are designed to incorporate splice trays to assist the formation of a splice connection between two telecommunication lines. Once all required splices are made, the enclosure is secured to protect the opened portion of the cable from moisture, dust, insects, and other hazards.
Conventional telecommunication enclosures, also known as distribution boxes, are found in a wide variety of locations, many of which present particular challenges in terms of accessibility for installation and maintenance. For example, with the growing use of optical fibres in telecommunications systems, enclosures for optical fibre cables are increasingly being located on the façades of buildings, often at a height of several meters to reduce the risk of vandalism. The installation and maintenance of such enclosures must be carried out from a ladder or a lift and should, therefore, be made as simple as possible to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
Enclosures that are suitable especially for the protection and management of optical fibre telecommunication lines and splices are described, for example, in US 2007/0086721; 2006/01935867; 2005/0175307; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,275,640; 6,253,016; and 5,479,553; and in WO 2008/048935; 00/28365; 96/30792; 95/02203; and 94/12904.